Road racing track



ROAD RACING TRACK Filed July 24, 1964 i Z2 ff /i /7 .ZZ if /Z /Z ZZ /Z 2 ./Z ZZ /y if i; if /Z ff fz/f /f y' BYQ/ y 77 9 I wir United States Patent O 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A miniature racing track made up of a pl-urality of sections in which each section has a base and a roadway positioned above the base is provided with several wedge shaped banking elements which are selectively inserted between the base and roadway to give the roadway a desired degree of bank.

The present invention relates to a road racing track for miniature toy vehicles such as racing cars and the like and has particular reference to devices for and a method of variably banking selected portions of the track as desired.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a road racing track which may be banked to a desired degree and a method of banking the track, especially along curved sections of the track, so that toy cars racing along the track freely and at high speeds will readily cling to the track.

Another object is the provision of such a track wherein any section of the track may be banked without the necessity of replacing a section or sections with premolded or preformed embankment track sections.

Another object is the provision in such a track of separate tapered banking elements which are provided with different degrees of inclination and which are interchangeaccompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment desired.

An other object is the provision of such a track wherein the banking element locks itself and the banked portion of the track, in embanked position against displacement during use.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In order to attain these objects, the track of the instant invention is composed of interlockable straight and curved sections each of which comprise a roadway on which the toy cars operate and a flanged base or adapter which holds the roadway in place. Embankment of any section or a portion of any section of the track is brought about by introducing between the roadway and its base, a wedge shaped banking element provided for the purpose. One or more such banking elements may be used, depending upon the length of the track required to be banked, and elements of different tapers are provided to obtain the degree of embankment desired.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a road racing track embodying the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 in FIG. 1 and showing a nonb-anked portion of the track;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1, and showing a banked portion of the track and the method of banking the track; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a banking ICC element used with the track to carry out the method steps of the invention.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawing illustrates a sectional road racing track 11 (FIG. 1) for miniature toy automobiles or oars. 4

tIn accordance with the method steps of the invention, for each section of the track 11, there is provided two separate pieces, a roadway 12 Iand a base or adapter 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and a plurality of 'banking elements or supports 14 (FIG. 4). The banking elements 14 preferably are wedge shaped and of dilferent degrees of inclination.

To effect embankment of any section of the track, one edge of the roadway 12, usually the outer edge, is elevated relative to the base 13 to the desired degree and is held in this position by insertion between the roadway and the base, of one of the Wedge shaped banking elements 14 which is selected for the degree of inclination which corresponds to the degree of embankment desired. Thus the degree of embankment of the roadway may be readily varied by selection of the banking element. Embankment of the track may be effected as desired in straight or curved sections alike and at any point in the track. 'I'he banking elements are readily removable but when in banking position they lock themselves in place and lock the roadway 12 and the base 13 together against displacement.

In the constructional details of the track 11 of the instant invention, the roadway 12 preferably is made to t loosely within the vbase 13 with one edge, usually the inner edge, of both parts hingedly interlocked as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. For this purpose, the base 13 of each track section preferably is made from sheet metal and is formed with a flat bottom Wall 16 and upright anges 17 and 18 extending along the outer and inner longitudinal edges respectively. The inner flange 18 is slightly higher than the thickness of the roadway 12 and terminates in an inwardly extending short lip 19 which overlaps the bottom wall 16 and which preferably is disposed at a slight upward angle.

llhe roadway 12 preferably is made of plastic material and is formed with 'a flat top face 21, on which the toy vehicles operate. This top face 21 preferably is provided with one or more longitudinal grooves 22 formed in depending webs 23 for guiding the vehicles. Adjacent each side of these guide grooves 22, the top face 21 usually carries a pair of electric conductors 25 to transmit electric current to and from the vehicles to effect their operation.

Along its outer and inner longitudinal edges, the roadway 12 preferably is formed with depending flanges 27, 28 which are of a depth substantially equal to the webs 23 and slightly shorter than the height of the base ange 18.

When the roadway 12 is disposed within the base 13, the outer flange 27 of the roadway is contiguous to but not touching the flange 17 of the base. In addition to this, the portion of the roadway adjacent the ange 2S is disposed under the lip 19 of Ibase flange 18 and thereby the inner edge of the roadway is hingedly interlocked with the inner edge of the base 13.

Thus the roadway 12 is loosely disposed within the base 13 but is restrained from lateral displacement therefrom by the cooperating anges of both parts as best shown in FIG. 2. When an embankment of a track section is desired, the outer edge of the roadway 12 may *be readily elevated to the desired degree while the inner edge of the roadway remains in interlocked relation with the inner edge of the base 13. Along the outer edges of the elevated roadway and the base, the gap or space between them provides for insertion of the banking element 14 to hold the roadway in its elevated position.

The banking element 14 preferably is made of plastic material and as shown in FIG. 4 preferably is 4an inverted T shaped wedge provided with a relatively broad rectangular supporting bottom face 31 and an integral relatively thin upright web 32. The top edge or face of the web 32 is tapered as at 33 and at its low or small end (at the right as viewed in FIG. 4) terminates in a short substantially llat nose 34.

There are a plurality of these banking elements 14 provided with different tapers or inclinations of the top edge of the Webs 32 so that an element of che proper inclination may be selected for adesired embankment of the roadway 12. In each element the =web 32 extends the full length of the bottom face 31. However, the length of the bottom face 31 may Ibe made to correspond with fthe inclination of the web for the proper locking engagement in the track.

In use, a banking element 14 is disposed between the roadway 12 and the base 13 as shown in FIIG. 3. In this position, the button face 31 of the element is disposed within the base 13 with the other end of the element in engagement with the base flange 17 and the inner end or nose 34 of the element in engagement with the flange 28 of the roadway 12. The element thereby locks itself in position and locks the roadway 12 and the base 13 t0- gether at their hingedly interlocked inner edges. At the same time the top inclined face 33 of the web 32 supports the roadway 12 in its embanked position. Thus the roadway 12 is simultaneously locked against displacement and held in a banked relation to its base 13. The banking element is readily removable and replaceable with a similar element of a different taper and thereby the banking of the roadway is made variable to meet any desired needs.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages wi'll be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A road racing track for miniature toy vehicles, comprising `a roadway for said vehicles, a base for said roadway, and means removably insertable between said roadway and said base for variably elevating at least a selected portion of one edge of said roadway relative to its opposite edge to impart to said roadway a desired degree of bank along said selected portion, wherein said base along one edge is provided with an inverted L shaped flange overlying the corresponding edge of said roadway to hingedly retain said corresponding edge of said roadway against displacement from said base, and wvherein said base along its opposite edge is provided with an upright flange to retain said roadway against lateral displacement while permitting said banking.

2. A road racing track of the character defined in claim 1 wherein said roadway along its edge underlying the inverted L shaped flange of said base is provided with a downwardly projecting locking flange and wherein said auxiliary means is a wedge having a taper corresponding to the degree of bank desired, said wedge having locking portions at its ends for engagement with the locking flange on said roadway and with the upright flange on said base to lock itself in position and to lock said roadway in its banked position relative to said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1925 Fischbach 238-10 6/1932 Rosenthal 238--10 FOREIGN PATENTS R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

